Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant for Postvitrectomy Macular Edema: A Retrospective Cohort of Patients with Postvitrectomy Macular Edema Treatment.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical findings and the efficacy of dexamethasone intravitreal implant in patients with postvitrectomy macular edema.

Methods: The records of 14 patients diagnosed with postvitrectomy macular edema unresponsive to first-line treatment, treated with intravitreal dexamethazone implant injection and followed at least 6 months between October 2011 and May 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent standard ophtalmological examination, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and intraocular pressures (IOPs) were recorded at baseline, at first and sixth months after the injection.

Results: The mean BCVA, which was 0.2 ± 0.14 logMAR at baseline significantly increased to 0.44 ± 0.2 logMAR at first month (P = 0.05) and to 0.4 ± 0.22 logMAR at sixth month of intravitreal dexamethazone implant injection (P = 0.01). CMT was also significantly decreased to 368.3 ± 90.4 μm at first month and to 323 ± 84.6 μm at sixth month from pre-injection value of 520.7 ± 90.3 μm (P = 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). IOP significantly increased from was 15 ± 2.1 mmHg at baseline to 20.6 ± 5.4 mmHg at first month of intravitreal dexamethazone implant injection (P = 0.01).

Conclusion: Dexamethazone implant treatment may reduce CMT and improve BCVA in cases with postvitrectomy macular edema. IOP should be regularly screened in these cases.